The morning sun shines above the Rohtang Pass, a day after inauguration of the tunnel.
Local women, in traditional dresses, participating in UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's public rally.
Ms. Gandhi during the foundation stone laying ceremony.
The tunnel is expected to be completed by 2015. About 18 avalanche protection structures have been erected on the tunnel.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi unveils a plaque during the inauguration, also seen are Defence Minister A K Antony and Himachal Pradesh CM Prem Kumar Dhumal.
Tourists enjoy the snowy landscape at Rohtang Pass. The construction plan was envisaged in 1983 and received an impetus after the Kargil conflict.
The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the tunnel project in September 2009 at a cost of about Rs.1,495 crore.
Ms Gandhi performs puja during the foundation stone laying ceremony.
A shepherd tends his flock of sheep at a roadside in the valley. Ms. Gandhi asked the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to ensure that there is no ecological degradation during the drilling.
A security person keeps vigil at the south portal of the tunnel. The BRO is also studying the feasibility of constructing another tunnel beneath the Shinkula Pass.